Free No Rules by R. A. Spratt

to his chin. ‘And I’m not telling you how she measured that. Suffice it to say, I feel violated.’
    â€˜Aside from that, you feel well?’ asked Friday.
    â€˜Fine,’ said Parker. ‘A bit achy. But I suppose that’s to be expected from sleeping on a field in the cold rain.’
    Friday continued reading the report. ‘The nurse has written that she administered one standard-sized band-aid. Where did she apply it?’
    â€˜Oh, that’s nothing,’ said Parker. ‘I had a sore finger. Just a blister.’
    â€˜Really?’ said Friday. ‘May I see?’
    â€˜There’s nothing to see,’ said Parker. ‘She put a band-aid over it.’ Parker held up his hand to show them. The band-aid had a picture of a pirate on it.
    â€˜Nice,’ approved Melanie. ‘I like a cheerful band-aid.’
    â€˜Did you have this blister before you slept on the field?’ asked Friday.
    â€˜I don’t think so,’ said Parker, looking at his finger. ‘But I did poke my curry pie several times, so it might be a curry burn.’
    â€˜Intriguing,’ said Friday. ‘Nigel, tell me: did anything go missing from your dorm room last night? Other than Parker, of course.’
    â€˜No,’ said Nigel.
    â€˜Are you sure?’ asked Friday. ‘No lightweight clothing or large sheets of paper?’
    â€˜No … well, actually, yes!’ said Nigel. ‘My Spiderman poster went missing from the wall. But I assumed some bully in sixth form took it. They took our sheets and blankets last week, just for a laugh.’
    â€˜Parker, do you have your room key?’ asked Friday.
    â€˜It’d be in my trouser pocket,’ said Parker, pointing to where his wet clothes were draped over a chair at the side of the room.
    Melanie was closest so she picked up the trousers and checked. ‘It’s not here.’
    â€˜Barnes!’
    Friday turned to see the Headmaster standing in the doorway. ‘What are you doing here?’ he demanded. ‘You should be in class.’
    â€˜I’m investigating Parker’s mysterious accident,’ said Friday.
    â€˜And admiring his band-aid,’ added Melanie.
    â€˜There’s nothing mysterious about it,’ said the Headmaster. ‘The fool just took a nap in a rainstorm. He does dim-witted things like that all the time.’
    â€˜Actually, Headmaster, you are entirely wrong,’ said Friday. ‘But before I take you through what really happened, I insist you call an ambulance. Parker should be examined by a cardiologist immediately.’
    â€˜But I’ve just got a sore finger,’ protested Parker.
    â€˜No, you haven’t,’ said Friday. ‘Well, technically, yes, you have. But in this instance, the small blister on your finger is a symptom of a much more serious incident.’
    â€˜It is?’ asked Parker.
    â€˜You were struck by lightning,’ said Friday.
    â€˜Preposterous!’ said the Headmaster.
    â€˜Cool!’ said Nigel.
    â€˜It is the only explanation that makes sense,’ said Friday.
    â€˜It doesn’t sound sensible at all,’ said the Headmaster.
    â€˜Parker was given the assignment of conducting an experiment, any experiment,’ said Friday. ‘He is not a terribly bright or knowledgeable boy.’
    â€˜It’s true,’ agreed Parker, nodding. Melanie patted him on the hand sympathetically.
    â€˜He couldn’t think of an experiment,’ said Friday. ‘His understanding of the principles of science is so poor he barely knows what an experiment is.’
    â€˜I wanted to ask,’ said Parker, ‘but I felt silly bringing it up after I’d been studying science for four years.’
    â€˜But right before dinner, Parker had been in history class,’ said Friday, ‘where he had been studying Benjamin Franklin.’
    â€˜What, the American politician?’ asked the